As 3D printing has become more common, innovative design has risen steadily to take advantage of its capacity to prototype rapidly and produce objects anywhere a machine can be plugged in.
Virginia Tech has implemented campuswide efforts to make the technology easily accessible at locations such as the Newman Library, the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and more. Within the College of Engineering, the Frith First-Year Makerspace is available specifically for new students, in addition to assorted facilities within departments. Students also have purchased their own machines, seizing opportunities for invention even in residence halls and apartment buildings.
Within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems (DREAMS) Lab is diligently pushing 3D…
